Friday 24 May 1661
At home all the morning making up my private accounts, and this is the first time that I do find myself to be clearly worth 500l. in money, besides all my goods in my house, &c. In the afternoon at the office late, and then I went to the Wardrobe, where I found my Lord at supper, and therefore I walked a good while till he had done, and I went in to him, and there he looked over my accounts. And they were committed to Mr. Moore to see me paid what remained due to me. Then down to the kitchen to eat a bit of bread and butter, which I did, and there I took one of the maids by the chin, thinking her to be Susan, but it proved to be her sister, who is very like her. From thence home.
Eric Walla Link to this
Hmmm, Susan the kitchen maid ...
... I don't think we'll see her cropping up in our People info section. Apparently Sam DOESN'T put all in his diary entries. Would she simply be too low to mention, or too available a treat to consider newsworthy? I wonder where the cut off is?
A. De Araujo Link to this
"paid what remained due to me" Kickbacks?
vicente Link to this
'Tis the Wardrobe's maid , I do believe "...Then down to the kitchen to eat a bit of bread and butter, which I did, and there I took one of the maids by the chin, thinking her to be Susan, but it proved to be her sister, who is very like her..." Oh how normal, a Piece. no goosgog preserves?
Stephen Taylor Link to this
'and there I took one of the maids by the chin'.
Am I being a little naive here? Can anyone translate this as my mind is boggling at possibilities, or alternatively it's a rather mundane comment.
Josh Link to this
Why, haven't you ever teased a comely acquaintance by grabbing hold of the person's chin between your thumb and forefinger? It probably isn't code for what Chaucer depicted forthrightly: "He caughte her by the haunchebones." In any case, you'd want to make sure of the character of the recipient before lavishing this caress.
A. Hamilton Link to this
Thankfully our Australian Susan is 333 years and 20 hours of flight time out of his grasp.
vicente Link to this
90 times times [minimum]"...I do find myself to be clearly worth 500l. in money, besides all my goods in my house, &c..." JUST CASH ! 4500 quid or if it was in gold coin and he had left it under the doorstep for a pepsi type to find it at Brampton it would command 107,450L of purchasing power. and if was in original Gold pieces then the collectors would pay a nice premium. It don't 'alve boogle the grey matter.
chipstubbs Link to this
Vicente, always tracking the bottom line. Think of the money about to be made. Penn's son will soon be granted thousands of square miles in the colonies, the state of Pennsylvania. Carteret is involved in 3 or 4 colonies. These people are about to become phenomenally wealthy. Our poor Pepys is a fringe person. Yet he did well for himself...the persistance of memory.
vicente Link to this
Chip: always watch those farthings: The Debt of English is a Trillion Quid . And there is only Mars for them to colonise. For those that escape the Debtors Prison like that in Sams old neighbourhood- St Brides.[Bridewell].
Australian Susan Link to this
Thank you, A. Hamilton for thinking of my virtue!
I am afraid Sam would think I was far too old. Interesting that in those days, Susan was a name usually only seen in the servant classes, as was Abigail, which became almost a proper noun for servant girls. Note that Sam is not asked to share the supper table of his Lord, and obviously thinks it is no slight not to be asked to do so; instead he happily pops into the kitchen to help himself to bread and butter (and whatever gropable females he can find!)
helena murphy Link to this
Perhaps the real purpose of going down to the kitchen was to see Susan rather than to eat bread and butter. Maybe he was invited to share supper but Sam the ladykiller had a more sensual agenda in mind.
JWB Link to this
Wardrobe
I repeat-a curious place. Party on the 22d, I thought a sort of closing celebration for job well done, the outfitting of the coronation. Here we have Montagu at supper, with functioning kitchen in basement. Recall earlier, Jemima would occasionally repaired to this place. It's like a tender moored @ Puddlewharf, a ship with crew.
JWB Link to this
Oh, what a girl!
If he knew Suzy, like we imagine he knew Suzy, he wouldn't have mistaken her for her sister.
helena murphy Link to this
Would it not have been dark at that time of the evening? Therefore even with the most sacrosanct intentions it would be easy to mistake one sister for another down in the kitchen ,or has smoke got in Sam's eyes and all true love is blind?
Jenny Doughty Link to this
'in those days, Susan was a name usually only seen in the servant classes'
Don't we still call a gadget that can be turned so that diners can easily help themselves to dishes on the table a 'lazy Susan'?
Glyn Link to this
That is Quite Interesting, as is the fact that no English words begin with the letters "Susa..."
Hic Retearius Link to this
So far: susannite
"A mineral found in the Susanna mine at Leadhills in Scotland, chemically identical with leadhillite, but crystallizing in the rhombohedral system."
Pauline Link to this
And Suzie put the kettle on.........
Polly take if off again.
Australian Susan Link to this
Other way round!
It's
"Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
They've all gone away." (a large kettle would be a good weapon for Susan or her sister to donk Sam on the nose with)
vicente Link to this
Lazy suzie: It is part of the Venacular but How? When? & Who? it appears that it was first documented? by Thomas Jefferson to save having some body to rotate His reading material?
suzeraine[Fr][Latin sursum] -feudal lord- so may be a lazy feudal lord? 'tis interesting so very few anglo or latin words with susa.[or suza]..[sus L pig]
Australian Susan Link to this
Susanna is Hebrew for Lily - linked with purity and virtue. Very popular subject for art in this period. Here's Van Dyck's version
www.abcgallery.com/V/vandyck/vandyck46.html
Nothing like me I assure you. Rembrandt also did one.
Australian Susan Link to this
Sorry - try this:
http://www.abcgallery.com/V/vandyck/vandyck46.html
Ruben Link to this
Susanna
from Easton's Bible Dictionary site: Susanna
Lily, with other pious women, ministered to Jesus (Luke 8:3).
aruggles Link to this
Clearly both Susan(na)s are having trouble with their elders!